Christmas warning lights are flashing for CVCC

Cree Valley Community Council must get their act together quicker each year if they are to have a quality Christmas lights display for the festive season.

So said CVCC member Bob Boan, who has organised the Christmas lights in the town for many years. He now wanted someone else to take responsibilty for getting the lights up, as, at the age of 72, he was “not going up a ladder again” to put them up.

He requested that the community council put an appeal out to local electricians to come and assess the situation. But he warned the members that the services of qualified tradesmen would cost the community council money. Fellow member David Inglis agreed, commenting that “the days of getting it done for free or on the cheap are gone”.

Having inspected last year’s lights, Mr Boan intimated that approximately £350 would be needed to repair them. Mr Inglis suggested that the community council made that amount available to Mr Boan to get the lights repaired. As he had a wealth of knowledge about what was needed, and who to contact about the lights, he was asked to fulfil the role of advisor this year, with the understanding that he would not be asked to put any lights up. CVCC members Jim Brown added that it was important that everything was done by the book, in this age of health and safety regulations, to ensure the community council were covered.

The dearth of parking spaces in the main street of Newton Stewart while the repairs to the old town hall and the riverside wall are underway is aerating residents of the town.

CVCC chairman Clifford Smithers said he had been inundated with complaints from people about the restricted parking in Victoria Street. The main gripe was drivers allegedly parking there all day. Mid Galloway Councillor Alistair Geddes suggested they ask for an enforcement officer to go on patrol. But the councillor added he had “no sympathy” for people who wanted to “park in the shop window” when there was ample parking space in the Riverside Car Park, a few minuted walk away from the main street.

Bob Boan suggested that the Grapes Hotel was knocked down ”before it falls down” and the area behind made into a town centre car park.